BEUKEMA: Outdoorama to feature gourmet cooking techniques

A new feature at Outdoorama this year is a program called “Gourmet Gone Wild.” A joint effort of MUCC, the DNR and MSU fisheries and wildlife, the idea is to introduce urban professionals to healthy eating of locally produced foods, in particular fish and game.

Tom Huggler, president of the Lansing based Glassen Foundation says, “The audience is people in the 25-40 year-old range who are educated, sophisticated, and live in the city.

“This is the young generation that has moved back to the city but has no connection to the land, doesn’t hunt or fish or has minimal understanding of the role these activities play.

“The whole purpose is to acquaint them with healthy, nutritious eating or wholesome food that isn’t laced with antibiotics and steroids. There is interest in that because they want to eat healthy,” he said.

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Learning to eat healthy begins with some education about where the food being prepared, came from.

Those attending a GGW event see how food is prepared along with an explanation of where that food came from. Audience members watch, as food is prepared along with explanations about how it’s done.

“These groups of young professionals are keenly interested in healthy food and how to get it and are taught that they can go out and hunt or fish for it.

Chef Dan Nelson brings the food, such as whitefish, venison or salmon, and prepares it for attendees while explaining the benefits of “natural” eating and the joys of hunting and fishing. There is no charge for the food or the locally donated beer and wine (Michigan made, of course).

“Those that show an interest are taken to a shooting range so they can pull some triggers or to a river to fish,” Huggler said.

To date, successful events have occurred in Lansing, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Farmington Hills and downtown Detroit with several more planned.

To help the program get started the Glassen Foundation gave GGW a grant for two years amounting to $40,000.

“This is the beginning of the second year and we’re delighted with the results and happy to be a force behind it,” Huggler said.

Attendees to the events have been as few as 60 to a high of 150. Most major cities have groups of young professionals with the purpose of networking to share common interests while learning.

The GGW concept is catching on in other states. “Jordan Burroughs, MSU wildlife outreach at MSU says she has received inquires from New York State, South Carolina and Mississippi,” Huggler said.

A “Gourmet Gone Wild” outing (where earlier participants come back to shoot, fish or hunt), scheduled for next month, will introduce Detroit Young Professionals to the joys of ice fishing and how to prepare their catch. For more information visit www.gourmetgonewild.org.

Staff from MUCC will be available to provide more information on this and other programs including the Asian Carp invasion, and MUCC’s summer kids camp.

On Feb. 23 from 10a.m.-6p.m., in one-hour sessions, MUCC will host a workshop for kids that want to learn about fishing. They’ll learn to bait hooks, tie knots, identify fish and cast properly.

NOTEBOOK: The DNR’s Master Angler program was a big success in 2012, including four state records

This past year 1,189 anglers representing 25 states submitted catches that were recognized as Master Angler fish, an increase from the 1,105 fish recognized in 2011. Of the entries accepted, 346 were categorized as “Catch and Keep” and 843 were categorized as “Catch and Release.”

Here is a breakdown of the most popular 2012 Master Angler entries by species:

119 freshwater drum

113 rock bass

108 bluegill

107 smallmouth bass

85 channel catfish

46 carp

43 largemouth bass

31 Great Lakes muskellunge

Master Angler entries for 2012 included four new state records, including black buffalo (37.4 pounds, captured on the Kalamazoo River by Bryan DeGoede of Kalamazoo), flathead catfish (49.8 pounds, caught on the St. Joseph River by Rodney Akey of Niles), Great Lakes muskellunge (58 pounds, caught on Lake Bellaire by Joseph Seeberger of Portage) and quillback carpsucker (8.12 pounds, captured on Hardy Dam Pond by Randy Bonter, Jr. of Grant).

Submissions are being accepted for the 2013 Master Angler program. To download an application, visit www.michigan.gov/masterangler.

EQUIPMENT CORNER:

For years, ice fishermen have fought the cold, winter elements in an attempt to keep the minnow bucket from freezing, making minnows impossible to get at without chopping a hole or worse, freezing solid, making minnows useless.

Along comes Plano, the same folks that provide those wonderful, plastic tackle trays, tackle boxes and bags, with a new idea.

A minnow bucket that won’t freeze because it’s foam lined. The 722-002 8 Qt. Foam Lined Bucket is an eight quart bait bucket with foam liner ideal for both warm and cold weather.

Equipped with easy open lid, metal handle and aerator hose hole; making for the perfect fishing trip. For more information about Plano products visit www.planomolding.com.

Roger Beukema writes a weekly outdoors column for Journal Register Newspapers. Email him at dutbeukema@comcast.net and read his blog at theoaklandpress.com.